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The Target employee who was PIMP SLAPPED in the face by Katt Williams says he's been FIRED from his job ...even though HE was the one who was attacked.

TMZ broke the story ... Forrest Liebenberg was having a calm conversation with the comic in the Northern California store when Katt slapped him in the face for no apparent reason. Liebenberg didn't strike back ... instead he pulled out his phone and called for help.

After the incident, Forrest told CBS13 he'd been terminated from his job with no explanation -- saying, “They weren’t very clear, but it is obvious to me that it was based on this incident.”

He added, "Maybe I was a little uninformed about how seriously the situation was with Target, but obviously it is pretty serious."

Forrest says he doesn't know if Target believes he's the person who leaked the security footage to TMZ. He also claims he is NOT the leaker.

11:22 AM PT -- A Target spokesperson confirms Forrest has been fired from the store ... but explains, "His departure was unrelated to the video footage that has appeared online."

The rep adds, "Out of respect for the privacy of this individual, we cannot discuss the reasons for his departure."